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ringil
Guest
gallup.com/poll/166763/record-high-americans-identify-independents.aspx
What is the GOP going to do about this?
What is the GOP going to do about this?
Record High- 42% of Americans Identify as Independents" Republican identification lowest in at least 25 years
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J_Peterson
Guest
I just recently unenrolled but it was from the Democrats. In MA it makes sense to unenroll because you can still vote in a primary if you want.
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christofirst
Guest
I don’t know, but it does not surprise me. I have been an Independent for years, there being too many elements in both major parties I cannot condone.
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Jeanne_S
Guest
As I have stated ad nauseaum,in my opinion,they need to clearly define their platform.By this I mean,NOT Dem lite. Either they stand for true conservative values,or they stand for nothing.
They have nothing more to lose at this point,they aren’t winning on the national level,pandering to the moderates,so why not take a courageous stand,in time,the electorate ,hopefully,will wake up to the ruinous policies of the Dems, and welcome this change.
A big ship to turn for sure,but nothing is impossible with God,pray,pray and pray some more.
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ComputerGeek25
Guest
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christofirst
Guest
Good people here such as yourself argue passionately that the Republicans are all about pro-life and responsibility, and I respect that, but for too many of us, the Republicans remain primarily the party of the rich, the establishment, the “haves” versus the “have-nots”. “Conservative” then becomes a euphemism for ensuring that the rich keep what they have, often at the expense of those less blessed or fortunate. Sorry if this offends anyone, but that’s the perception which I and too many others have of the GOP. I doubt they can change this perception without alienating the big business and big money that funds and is therefore the power behind the Republican party - especially so in this economy, when the majority are struggling while the very wealthy are prospering. In my opinion, advocating even less compromise than we already have is a sure way to keep the Democrats in power, but then I am certainly no political expert.
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ComputerGeek25
Guest
The problem is that the Democrats have been successful in saying they are for the little guy, but they are just as much in bed with big business as they claim the GOP is. And Democrats give less to charity in general. And many Democrat Congress critters are millionaires as well.
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Ridgerunner
Guest
I could be wrong, but I suspect polls like this don’t tell us very much.
There has been a lot of touting the “independent” position in recent years. Dems support it in hope that it will cause people who would otherwise be Repubs not to vote. Some who are actually Repub in all but name claim to be “independents” so they can seem to be “fair minded”.
In some states, like my own, you don’t have to register as anything. you just pick up whichever party ballot you want in the primary. In a heavily conservative district like mine, there are a lot of offices for which there is no Dem candidate at all. So, if nothing else, you pick up a Repub ballot so you can vote for SOMEBODY on a local level. But the conservative vote is overwhelming notwithanding that a lot of people would call themselves “independents”, including a lot of Tea Party people who would never vote Democratic.
I have a feeling there has always been a lot more party identification on the Dem side than on the Repub side. Back when I was a Dem party worker, I had no doubt of it. That was back when Dems could win election here sometimes. But since the Dem party embraced abortion and now homosexual marriage, I imagine that has receded even further away in this part of the country.
The real question is how conservative or liberal the electorate is, or is becoming. My guess is that right now the “independents” are more likely to vote Repub than Dem. Of course, both parties are going to try to persuade those people to go their way.
There has been a lot of touting the “independent” position in recent years. Dems support it in hope that it will cause people who would otherwise be Repubs not to vote. Some who are actually Repub in all but name claim to be “independents” so they can seem to be “fair minded”.
In some states, like my own, you don’t have to register as anything. you just pick up whichever party ballot you want in the primary. In a heavily conservative district like mine, there are a lot of offices for which there is no Dem candidate at all. So, if nothing else, you pick up a Repub ballot so you can vote for SOMEBODY on a local level. But the conservative vote is overwhelming notwithanding that a lot of people would call themselves “independents”, including a lot of Tea Party people who would never vote Democratic.
I have a feeling there has always been a lot more party identification on the Dem side than on the Repub side. Back when I was a Dem party worker, I had no doubt of it. That was back when Dems could win election here sometimes. But since the Dem party embraced abortion and now homosexual marriage, I imagine that has receded even further away in this part of the country.
The real question is how conservative or liberal the electorate is, or is becoming. My guess is that right now the “independents” are more likely to vote Repub than Dem. Of course, both parties are going to try to persuade those people to go their way.
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Jeanne_S
Guest
First and foremost,your premise that the GOP is made up primarily of wealthy big business types is just not true.The GOP base is largely Christian middle class families.Big business is not an exclusive supporter of the GOP.The Dems own a lage portion of that support,in fact,most of the Dem politicians are far wealthier than most of the Republicans.
Add to that,
the Republicians really believe in personal accountability,the whole teach a man to fish,as opposed to the Dems,wanting to provide the fish.
As far as the disparity between rich and poor,how is that the fault of the Republicians?
It’s the strong arm of the gov’t micro managing our economy,a president that has squelched any kind of growth during his tenure .We are currently experiencing the longest stretch of unemployment in recent history under his watch,which BTY,is closer to 14 percent,when factoring in those who have given up looking for work:
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Dawnia
Guest
I’ve always been independent. I vote for who I think will do the best job, regardless of party. The biggest difference that I see between the parties is that the Repubs speak on facts/longterm thinking and Dems speak on feelings/shortterm thinking. It makes it much easier to identify with the Dems because generally people want to know what immediate effect something is going to have on them, not a longterm promise that may never materialize.
As to the poll, I think people are finally getting sick of both parties. It doesn’t seem to matter who is in office, the general public are the ones that get short changed.
As to the poll, I think people are finally getting sick of both parties. It doesn’t seem to matter who is in office, the general public are the ones that get short changed.
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Jeanne_S
Guest
Personally speaking,if this poll is reflective of how I feel after this last election,I think is has more to do with the frustration many feel,in that the two parties are not clearly distinguishable.The Republicans are dancing as fast as they can to court the moderates.They cannot beat the Dems at their own game. I also think once again,the media is misrepresenting(big suprise
) what this poll suggests.The message is back to the conservative idiology of the party.There a lot of young conservative movements within the college community,etc.It may take time eventually the electorate will come around.
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phil19034
Guest
This is spot on
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rfournier103
Guest
I am an INDEPENDANT. And proud of it.
I refuse to support the Democratic Party because they:
*support same-sex “marriage”.
*are opposed to our right to keep and bear arms.
*want abortions for EVERYONE!!!
*are soft on terrorism and crime.
*seem to especially hate my religion.
*have no sense of patriotism whatsoever.
*care nothing for your average joe; just special interest groups.
I refuse to support the Republican Party because they:
*LOVE LOVE LOVE to send our jobs overseas to places like CHINA.
*disgusting record on environmental issues. Earth be damned.
*are major opponents of OSHA and workplace safety. As a construction worker, this is very important to me.
*refuse to work with the Democrats. When they don’t get what they want, they shut the government down.
*care nothing for the average joe; just the corporate swine feeding at the money-trough.
So… as long as things remain like THIS; I will continue to vote for the individual who seems the lesser of two evils. And if THAT can’t be done; THEN I vote for a man NOT on the ballot who I think would do a better job. More and more I find myself writing my own name on the ballot. :frighten:
I refuse to support the Democratic Party because they:
*support same-sex “marriage”.
*are opposed to our right to keep and bear arms.
*want abortions for EVERYONE!!!
*are soft on terrorism and crime.
*seem to especially hate my religion.
*have no sense of patriotism whatsoever.
*care nothing for your average joe; just special interest groups.
I refuse to support the Republican Party because they:
*LOVE LOVE LOVE to send our jobs overseas to places like CHINA.
*disgusting record on environmental issues. Earth be damned.
*are major opponents of OSHA and workplace safety. As a construction worker, this is very important to me.
*refuse to work with the Democrats. When they don’t get what they want, they shut the government down.
*care nothing for the average joe; just the corporate swine feeding at the money-trough.
So… as long as things remain like THIS; I will continue to vote for the individual who seems the lesser of two evils. And if THAT can’t be done; THEN I vote for a man NOT on the ballot who I think would do a better job. More and more I find myself writing my own name on the ballot. :frighten:
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rfournier103
Guest
Oh you are so right.
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Jeanne_S
Guest
The Republicans have made every effort to work with the dem controlled senate and the president,they and they alone are responsible for the shutdown and for our sluggish economy.It is our president and the recalcitrant senate that because they hold the power in the executive and part of the house that absolutely nothing has been resolved in the past five years.in fact Obama has used his executive power to override any and all issues where he may not get his way!Get your facts straight.All the other talking points re the republicans are straight from the left leaning playbook
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ComputerGeek25
Guest
Just a couple of quibs:
The Democrat controlled senate is just as bad, in regards to not wanting to work across the isle. How many bills have passed in the House, but have been tabled in the Senate?
Secondly, both parties have done things to screw over the working American and the working class. For example:
NAFTA was started under Bush, but it wasn’t passed and signed into law until Clinton took over.
Glass Steagall was repealed under Clinton’s watch in 1999, I believe. This was probably one of the causes of the 2008 crash.
Lastly, I wouldn’t say many Republicans (or Conservative) want to eliminate OSHA or harm the environment. It’s more of a “How much do we really need?” While many of the regulations are well intentioned, there still is a lot of red tape to navigate. Instead of investing in ways to make coal or fracking safe, and provide American jobs as well as create stable energy prices (the Middle East doesn’t like us), we get failures like Solyndra. Not to say renewable energy isn’t important, but Carbon based fuels give the biggest bang for the buck. Also, note that Warren Buffet was a major contributor to Obama’s campaign, and owns railroads that carry oil from Canada to the Gulf. Follow the money…
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rfournier103
Guest
I notice you had nothing to say about my beefs with the Dems. Got anything to say about that? Just zeroed in on what offended you?The Republicans have made every effort to work with the dem controlled senate and the president,they and they alone are responsible for the shutdown and for our sluggish economy.It is our president and the recalcitrant senate that because they hold the power in the executive and part of the house that absolutely nothing has been resolved in the past five years.in fact Obama has used his executive power to override any and all issues where he may not get his way!Get your facts straight.All the other talking points re the republicans are straight from the left leaning playbook
Apparently unlike you, I am not beholden to one party and follow it blindly. They both stink to high heaven.
What do we do about our trade deficit with China? What do we do to get more JOBS here at home? Or… what would you have the Rebublicans do about these issues?
The thing is… I don’t give a flying fig WHO solves our problems, I just want them fixed.
If you want to debate the merits and shortcomings of either party; I have enough ammo to bash either one back into the stone age. Just throwing my two cents in as to why I’m an independant.
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ComputerGeek25
Guest
Here’s the problem: Neither political party is doing anything to help the average Joe. What you claim about the Republicans can be said about the Democrats as well (and the reverse may be true as well).
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_Abyssinia
Guest
When you calculate in the independents who lean democrat and the independents that lean republican, democrats have an advantage, yet multiple polls show republicans leading in the generic ballot for 2014?
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Ridgerunner
Guest
I think it varies. Back when I was active in the Dem party, the Dems really did do things to help the “average Joe”. Now they don’t.
I’m not sure the Repubs intend to help the “average Joe” but at least some of them (like Paul Ryan) at least try to reduce the growth of entitlements. Since entitlements come 100% from labor’s share of the national income, reducing them is of far greater importance to “Joe” than I think most realize.
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